A New Kind of Adventure
by ForeverFreelancer
Summary: Buck's idea of adventure has always been pursuing Rudy, it's all he's ever known, and it's all he's ever desired to fulfill his purpose in life. However, one fateful day when he runs into a female weasel who is foolishly braving the dino underworld alone in search of her dear friend and crush, he may come to find that there's more to life than chasing after dinosaurs. BuckxOC
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! First Ice Age fic, so please forgive me and bear with me. Also, I'm well aware I'm not the first to write this kind of story, but I too wanted to give it a shot. So, if you're reading, I hope you enjoy. _

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Chapter 1 A Daring Rescue

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In the wild underworld of the prehistoric era, when monstrous dinosaurs roamed freely on the ground and majestic pterodactyls ruled the skies, where smoke billowed out from active volcanos and exotic jungles spanned for miles, adventure was waiting around every turn you could possibly make.

And a particularly eccentric weasel lived his life to go on these thrilling adventures.

It was dawn and the sun was rising up just above the horizon, pteranodons and quetzalcoatlus soaring through the forming clouds overhead. And from deep within the Jurassic jungle, a warrior cry echoed through the trees.

"YYYYYEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAHHH! HEIGH-HO SNAGGLEFANG! AWAAAAY!"

Breaking through the dense jungle underbrush was a great parasaurolophus, running almost with a gallop. His head was held in place by sturdy veins used as makeshift reins. Gripping the 'reins' was the adventure-seeking weasel himself, Buck.

He stood on the tips of two spines along its back, balancing on one foot in a daring maneuver. "Come on ol' crescent-head, ride like the wind!" The weasel whipped the reins, and the dinosaur roared in protest, but ran faster nonetheless.

Buck smiled, feeling the wind gusting by ruffle his fur. He always got such a rush when he rode on the back of one of the wild beasts.

As the dinosaur ran across the open land, Buck climbed up his neck and gripped its crescent, feet planted firmly on the back of its skull. The weasel shielded his eyes with one hand, looking out in the distance, scanning the land farther out for the baryonyx he constantly pursued. But he hadn't seen signs of his old foe in weeks it seemed. But that didn't mean he'd give up. Chasing after Rudy was his one true purpose here in the prehistoric realm, after all.

Along the way, he'd made more than a few friends his size who had found themeselves in this dangerous underworld, whether it be from curiosity, or by complete accident, from falling through the ice. But they never did seem to stick around for long. The harsh environment just wasn't something most small mammals could adapt to well. And besides, why rough it out in the dangers of the dinolands when they could live safely and happily up above in the snowy terrain? They preferred not to be an appetizer for some terrifying t-rex.

Buck had been down here practically his entire life, it was home to the weasel, even if no one like him shared in his neverending adventures and discoveries. It was all he'd ever known really.

And here, he was free. He didn't have any responsibilities. No boundaries, no limits, not a single care in the world.

And that was just the way he liked it.

As he rode through a marshland, a bird with vibrant red and blue feathers, an archaeopteryx to be more precise, soared out from the dense treetops at hearing the weasel's voice. He glided down and flew beside him, keeping up with the dinosaur's pace effortlessly.

"Hey there Buck! Top a' the mornin' to ya my friend!" the bird called out.

Buck looked to his left and saluted with two fingers, a friendly smile on his face. "G'day mate!" he called back to his avian friend. "'Aven't seen you in a while, Noah!"

Noah gave a short chuckle. "Well, you 'ave been gone for ages it feels like. Still chasin' after Rudy eh?"

Buck nodded. "Aye mate! Been huntin' 'im for weeks on end now, 'aven't been able to track him down. Thought I was closin' in on 'im when I spotted a trail of trampled plants. Followed it, and it took me back here. Turns out I was following a trail this crescent-head here had made the whole time. So I thought I'd use him to help me out, since he hindered my chase. Ain't that right, pal?" He patted the scaly neck of the parasaurolophus, who trumpeted loudly in response.

Noah grinned and shook his head as he soared beside his friend riding dinoback. "Ya ever consider takin' a break from chasin' after that ol' dino?" Noah asked.

Buck whipped his reins, making the dinosaur run faster. "Not a chance!" he answered. "I live my life to chase after that great white beast! You know that! And besides, wha' else would I do for adventchah down here?"

All of a sudden, his rounded ears perked to the sound of shrill screams. He abruptly pulled on the reins of his dinosaur. "Hoooo there!" he said to him, taking some effort to slow the animal down to a gradual stop. The weasel's ears swiveled as he tried to listen for the direction the distant screams were coming from. He held a paw up as he looked around, his brow furrowing over his one good eye. "What in blazes...?"

Noah craned his neck, looking toward the sky, his eyes darting from left to right. "Eh Buck, what kind 'a creature do you suppose that is makin' those loud screams?"

Buck shook his head as his one eye scanned the area. "I dunno…but wha'ever it is, it sounds like it's comin' from the other side of that hill over there."

Noah flapped his massive wings, gliding lower, using his head to gesture. "How's about we check it out then?"

Buck nodded. "Aye mate," he replied, sliding down the dinosaur's tail and somersaulting onto the ground. "Ya read my mind."

Noah flew while Buck ran up the small hill. They followed the echo of the shrill screams, Buck's curiosity intensifying the closer he got. The screams had faded, but in its place weak whimpers could be heard, and he could swear those whimpers sounded faintly feminine.

"What kinda' poor defenseless creature you suppose is in trouble now?"

Buck laughed aloud. "No tellin' my friend."

They finally reached the top of the hill and looked out over the land. In the distance stood a small grove of trees, and on the edge of that grove, a large carnotaurus was chomping at a branch jutting out from the tall tree. Some animal about his size was cowering on the limb, making a pathetic attempt to fight back using a flimsy stick. He couldn't tell exactly what the creature was, but it was about his size, and from where he stood, it almost resembled him in its coloring and fur patterns.

Whatever it was, he had to save it, before it became the giant carnivore's snack.

He raced over to the base of a towering tree, placing his front paws on the smooth bark. His head rapidly whipping around as he looked straight up, his ears swiveling and his nose wiggling as he sniffed the open air. He then leaped up and began to climb.

Buck scaled the trunk of the mighty tree, ascending to the upper level in record time, having climbed countless trees before. He leaped up and grabbed hold of one of the loftier branches. When he pulled himself up he finally caught of glimpse of the prey the dino was after.

She was a weasel, her pelt a rich shade of brown, the fur on her stomach a light cream.

The female weasel raised her stick and had the nerve to swat up at the huge beast. "Stay back!" she shouted. "You keep away from me, you…you ugly spinebacked monster!" She brandished the stick as an attempted threat, as if a mere stick was an intimidating weapon to an enormous lizard with razor sharp teeth in any way whatsoever.

The carnotaurus snarled deafeningly down at her, and she screamed out. He chomped down on the stick, breaking it in half and spitting it out.

The shaking weasel watched it fall to the ground far below. Showing no mercy, the dinosaur roared and bit down on the thick branch she was perching on. She screamed another shrill scream, jumping and scrambling to a branch of another tree. She barely grabbed onto it, clambering clumsily through the grove's canopy. The dino bit down on another branch that the female weasel had been hanging onto as she caught her breath. He didn't give her time for that, biting down on the branch and tossing it, sending it flying.

With nowhere to leap to, she backed up against the trunk, hyperventilating and shying away as she waited to be snapped in two just like that poor stick.

"Hey! Stubby arms! Up here!" a voice with a thick accent taunted from above.

The carnotaurus growled and looked up to see the one-eyed weasel, gripping his tooth blade in one paw. "How many times do I have to tell ya big lizards? Weasels don't taste good!" He jumped up and pulled a few vines hanging from the canopy above and swung on them. He swiftly sliced them apart from the tree with his tooth. Flipping up onto the carnotaurus's head, Buck proceeded to loop himself around his mouth, tying it shut with the sturdy vines.

He put two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. "Noah! Over here!" he shouted.

The female weasel's eyes widened as the enormous bird swooped down and grabbed several vines with his beak. "Got it covered, mate!" he said in a muffled voice. He glided down to the dino's legs and circled them several times, tying them together, temporarily compromising his ability to use his powerful legs.

The horned lizard snarled and swatted his tiny arms, attempting to fight back, but it was no use. He tried to take a step and toppled over, falling against the tree trunk. The entire tree shook with the force, and the jarring movement threw the she-weasel forward, into the open air. She plummeted quickly to the ground, her screams echoing as she fell.

His blue eye widened, Buck slid down the dino's back and tail, stepping off the fallen dino. As soon as his feet touched the dirt he dashed over and caught the weasel seconds before she would've hit the ground with a 'splat'.

Her eyes slowly opened and she stared up in shock at her savior, her gaze fixated on his single blue eye.

Buck looked over as Noah finished wrapping the vines around the dino's clawed feet. Buck placed the girl down and ran over to tie the vines in secure knots. He pulled them taut and nodded before looking to his avian friend.

"Let's go," Buck said to him. "This'll only hold the big guy so long."

They didn't get far before they froze at the sound of the vines snapping. They looked back to see the beast valiantly getting to his feet.

Noah flapped his wings and took for the sky. "I'll lead him off! You get that girl to safety."

Buck shot him a 'thumbs up' and took off in the other direction. He scooped up the shaken female and carried her far down the trail. He then unexpectedly dove into the center of a plant with enormous leaves.

For a short while, all that could be heard was the sound of their panting as they tried to catch their breath.

Eventually, the dino's roars grew softer and softer, fading off in the distance with Noah leading him away. Buck finally decided the coast was clear and crawled out of the cluster of leaves. He turned and and helped the other weasel out of the plant. She stumbled a bit and he steadied her.

"Whoa there. You alright?" he asked in mild concern.

She put a paw to her chest and took a deep exhale in relief. "Yea…yes, yes I'm fine," she breathed. She looked up at him with a sheepish smile. "Thank you."

He finally got a chance to get a good look at her. She was his size, only a tad shorter, her fur looking very soft to the touch. But despite the glossy look her fur possessed, she herself looked exhausted. Her tail was fairly bushier than his and swayed behind her at a relaxed pace.

And her eyes were a bright green. They shimmered in the sunlight like emeralds.

He sniffed her feminine scent, slinking around her and wrapping himself around her form like a snake, his nose pressed up against her body as he sniffed her. His eyelid fluttered at how pleasant she smelled to him.

She tensed up at the strange greeting he gave her, her brows furrowed over her eyes as her personal space continued to be invaded. "Uh…what are you _doing_?" she asked him in an uneasy tone.

He smirked and backed away from her, his eye narrowing. "The better question is: what are _you_ doing…down here?" He swept his paw out in front of him, gesturing to the area.

She ran a paw through her head fur. "Well…I'm looking for, um, a friend of mine."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "Yea, he ventured down here to steal a dino egg, as part of some stupid bet with his friends or something. After he'd been gone for a few days, I got worried sick and came to find him."

Buck nodded. "Well you got a right to be worried, that's for sure. He's probably being digested by one a' those old stubby-armed fossils as we speak." He imitated a carnivore, holding his paws up and baring his teeth with a growl.

Her eyes widened in fear for a split second. Then they narrowed and she scoffed lightly at him, crossing her arms. "I doubt it. Max is pretty tough for a weasel. Toughest guy I know in fact."

Buck's brow quirked as he reached down to grasp the handle of his tooth blade and slung it over his shoulder. "Well, I hope he can handle himself better than you."

She pursed her lips, her ears lowering. She rubbed a paw along her arm, and said, "Yea…uh, thanks again. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't saved me back there."

"You would've died, obviously," he answered matter-of-factly with a smug grin.

With a small miffed roll of her eyes and a flare of her nostrils, she began to continue ahead on the dirt trail.

He chuckled as he followed her. "It was no problem. Happy to. Wasn't about to let one a' my own kind get eaten."

"How noble of you," she mumbled back, her primary mission on her mind at the moment as she scanned the span of land in the distance, having no idea where to search for her dear friend next.

"So, your friend's lookin' for a dino egg then?" Buck asked her, matching stride with the female weasel.

She nodded. "Yep."

"Well then he's headed for the Nesting Valley, just beyond Lava Falls."

"Great," she replied almost curtly. "Then I'll go to this Nesting Valley to find him then."

He leaned against a tree trunk, that same smug smile on his muzzle. "Which is in the _opposite_ direction you're walkin', just a little FYI," he replied.

She stopped still, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. She quickly turned about face and started walking the other way. "Right," she said, running a paw through her head fur again. "I'll just, uh, go find him, and then we can get outta here."

Buck smiled and shook his head. This girl clearly had no clue what she was in for if she was venturing out into the dino underworld. He climbed the tree and began to gracefully leap from branch to branch on the upper level, following her as she walked on foot. "I could help ya find 'em if ya'd like. This place isn't some kind of tropical paradise ya know. Well maybe for me, but for someone from up there?" He shook his head. "Besides, you have no idea how to get there."

She scowled up at him, her tail bristling in aggravation, but frowned as she heard the far off roar of a dino followed by the cry of agony from its prey. She shuddered, her ears flattening against her head.

That could've been her today.

She stood there for a long moment, her pride making it incredibly difficult for her to admit to needing help, but honestly, who was she kidding? He was right. She couldn't survive in this strange new world without someone to be her guide.

She peeked up at the one-eyed weasel lounging on the branch overhead, her hard expression melting into a soft shy one. "You sure it wouldn't be too much trouble for you?" she asked.

With a friendly smile, he jumped down to join her on the ground. "You kiddin'? It'd be my pleasure, Miss. It's kinda my job to help tourists get around and show 'em the ropes…well vines I should say, keep 'em from suffering mortal peril and all that." His head tilted to one side as he smiled at her. "Oh and, the name's Buck." He did a back flip and bowed from the waist. "Short for Buckminster." He tossed his weapon up in the air, catching it with ease. "Long for Buh!"

She couldn't help but giggle. "Hi, it's nice to meet you, Buck. I'm Ally. Short for Aleena."

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_Well there's chapter one, hope you liked! _


	2. Chapter 2 The Journey Begins

_Guys I'm so sorry, I've had so much going on right now, six or seven full length fics and college, seems I bit off more than I could chew. But I made a vow to continue every fic I post on here and I intend to do just that. So on with this adventure!_

_And I want to thank my three reviewers, Buckrocks, mchap1154, and to my guest reviewer. It means so much to have you guys take interest in this story, so thank you! I'll try to keep updates more consistent from now on. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 2 The Journey Begins

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"Ally huh? That's a fine name," Buck said to the female weasel strolling alongside him, the two making their way through the underbrush of the jungle.

She scowled lightly as she pushed a small stray limb hanging in her way so she could keep walking on the dirt trail. "Thanks," she said with a grunt, struggling at first with the thick limb. She maneuvered under it and continued on, pushing her auburn head fur out of her eyes with a huff. "But, I'd prefer if we just stuck with my full name, Buck, if that's alright with you."

He smirked, effortlessly using his tooth blade to slice through the loosely hanging vines overhead. "Ah, ya'd rather stick with formal titles, love? Alright then, Aleena. So, how long 'ave ya been down 'ere?" questioned Buck.

"Only since this morning," she answered. "I'd told myself I'd wait one more night for Max to come back home before I went looking for him. When I woke up this morning and couldn't find him anywhere near his den or his family's den, I went to his friends and asked if they'd seen him. And when they said that they hadn't, I set out in the direction they told me he'd gone, and found this small hole in the ice, which was just over the peak of a giant mountain. The short fall to the peak from the hole didn't last long, but the climb down took all morning," she spoke with a groan. "And ever since I stepped foot down here, it's been non-stop unexpected surprises, from accidentally disturbing a hornet's nest and running from an angry mass of the stupid flying pests, to almost getting trampled by a group of migrating longneck dinos, whatever their names are, and then to top it off, that carno-something spots me and decides he wants to make me his mid-morning snack!" She exhaled in a deep sigh.

Her long-winded explanation caused the carefree male weasel to chuckle lightly as he propped himself up against a tree trunk. "Sounds like you've had quite the mornin' lass."

"Tell me about it," she responded curtly. Just then a grimace formed on her face at the pain in her stomach due to it being empty made itself known. She rubbed a paw over it as it growled audibly moments later.

"Hungry?" Buck asked her, that humored tone of his never fading once.

She smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. "I uh, kinda missed breakfast today."

"Well let's go find ya somethin' ta eat then. There's a little spot just a ways further in this very jungle, where a bunch of fruit trees grow. It's off the trail, but just stick close, and you'll be fine."

"What's so bad about leaving the trail?" Aleena murmured softly, her eyebrows furrowing as she scanned the seemingly peaceful and vibrant jungle surrounding them.

"I'll _tell_ you what's so bad about it!" cried Buck, shoving his nose up against hers, startling her. "Why tha's one a' my rules!"

The wide eyed she-weasel stared back at him in surprise and confusion. "Wh…what is?"

Buck leaned away from her, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully, his eye narrowing. "Oh yea, I never told you, tha's right. Well anyway, when someone ventures down here and they ask me to be their guide, they always gotta follows my rules." He jammed the end of his blade into the trunk of a nearby tree, and then held his index claw up. "Rule numbah one," he proclaimed, gesturing to each of his rounded ears. "_Always_ listen to Buck!"

She blinked back at him, her mouth hanging open just slightly at hearing his harsh tone. "Uhhh…ok…can do."

He held two fingers up. "Rule numbah two!" The weasel bent over and thrust his paws in gesture to the dirt beneath their feet. "Stay in the middle of the trail!" He scampered over to pull his blade from the bark. He pulled it loose and returned to her side with a grin. "And the last rule is that rule numbah two can be negated if and only if the circumstance calls for it. Down here, there's a life-or-death situation lurking behind nearly every rock, so I adivise you to remember those rules, or you won't survive, got it?"

She leaned away from him warily, looking at him like he was insane. Of course, he was insane, to an extent. But being down here in the dino world, she'd need every bit of help she could get in order to find her friend Max and get back home safely. And besides, his rules were easy to follow at least, so she complied with a nod of her head. "Got it," she answered, placing a paw to her stomach in hopes to muffle its grumbling.

His friendly smile returning almost instantly, he slung his blade over his shoulder. "Alright then, now let's go find a little somethin' to chow down on!"

Buck led Aleena through the thicker portion of the Jurassic Jungle, the weasels crawling under and leaping over roots and low branches, as well as climbing over rocks. For Buck it was second nature, but the she-weasel was struggling, scowling at having to scramble over the large rocks, swatting away leaves wile following her guide, stumbling over hidden roots beneath her feet. They soon arrived at an area in the dense jungle where a group of towering trees bearing an array of different fruits stood. At their bases grew several large bushes with ripe purple berries hanging from their stems in clumps.

Aleena's ears perked as she spotted the colorful berries. "Finally, I'm starved!" She ran over to one of the bushes and was about to reach for a cluster of the violet fruits when she felt a hand firmly grasping her wrist.

"Whoa whoa whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa! What do you think you're doin'?!" Buck asked.

She eyed him with a frown and a quirked brow. "Uh…picking berries? What's it look like?"

He shook his head and held his free paw up. "You don't wanna be eatin' none a' them, lass. Those are what I like to call Purple Poison. Ate a few years ago, was sick for nearly an entire week. I won't go into detail, but if ya eat those, let's just say you'll be seein' them again real soon, along with wa'ever else might be in your system."

With a disgusted face she lowered her hand as he let it go. "Good to know," she muttered.

He chuckled softly and used his weapon to point to the tree canopy up above. "See those oddly-shaped yellow ones that look like mangos?"

She nodded.

"Now they'll make your heart race and make ya feel lightheaded all day, you'll be stumblin' around like some drunken fool, and sometimes, you even get delusions." He wiggled his fingers in front of her face, widening his eye in a creepy way while continuing his explanation. "So uh, stay away from them too, and then you see those orange ones over there in that tree, they'll give ya a headache that makes ya sensitive to light and sound and whatnot, and that won't go away for usually a day or so. But see those red ones up there? The ones shaped like kumquats? They're harmless, and they taste pretty darn good too! Wait right here, I'll climb up and pick a few."

Aleena watched Buck climb the tree nearby, leaping up to a lofty branch, and shaking the hanging fruit free from their place on the branch. Two large fruits quivered from the shaking of the branch, and broke off, falling to the ground.

She sauntered over and scooped up the two fruits, handing the second one to Buck when he swung down from a vine, landing next to her.

"Thanks madam," he replied, taking the fruit and biting into it.

As they were making their way back to the main trail, Buck glanced over at the thin female, confused by how she wasn't devouring the fruit already, as hungry as she seemed to be.

"Wha's wrong?" he asked her.

She ran two claws over the surface of the crimson fruit, an uneasy look faintly present in her green eyes. "Nothing, it's just…I didn't realize this place was so…"

"Dangerous?" he said, finishing her sentence for her.

She looked over at him. "Yea, I mean it's one thing to have to hide from dinosaurs, but to have to look out for poisonous food too…"

"And plants," he added.

Her head whipped up as she looked back at him. "Huh?" she asked.

"Some plants in the jungles down 'ere will grab you by ya ankles with their vines an' swallow you whole, digestin' ya in minutes if they can get their vines wrapped around you quick enough. It's a slow, agonizing process, and when it's over, all that's left is usually bones. Seen it happen to a few poor souls who came down here to explore." He placed a paw over his heart. "May they rest in peace."

When he saw the horrified expression on her face, he couldn't help but snicker. He patted her shoulder with a grin. "Not to worry, I'll keep you outta any more trouble. We'll find your friend, and I'll get both of ya back home alive…hopefully."

Watching her face contort even more in terror, his chuckling grew into boisterous laughter while he strolled along, leading the way, his tail weaving behind him continuously in his chipper state. "Wha' else can I say love? This place is full a' unexpected peril, but trust me, you'll be fine, just so long as ya follow my rules."

She took a bit of the fruit, savoring its sweet and tangy flavor as it danced along her taste buds. "I think I can handle following a few basic rules," she answered after swallowing a morsel of the juicy red treat.

Both weasels' rounded ears twitched to the loud screeching of some sort of bird, echoing through the trees, and the two looked up to see the shadow of a bird swooping down to their position on the ground.

Knowing full well that large birds normally ate small mammals like herself, Aleena gasped, immediately darting over to a Colocasia plant and jumped into it, using its enormous spade-shaped leaves to hide beneath.

The bird finally came into view, his large wings flapping as he landed on the ground next to Buck.

"Long time no see mate!" Buck joked in greeting to his archaeopteryx friend.

Noah grinned back, using his wing to gesture behind him. "Led our ol' horned friend beyond Perilous Plateau, figured that was a far enough distance for him to lose your scent. Poor numbskull, thought he actually had a chance at snagging a flying creature for a meal. Had quite a bit of fun, dodging his numerous tail strikes and such. He gave up eventually though."

"Ah those ol' lizards are a blast to tease, aren't they?" said Buck.

Noah nodded and was about to say something else when he heard the nearby rustle of leaves. He looked over at the plant, watching its leaves shake and move, and spotted a pair of green eyes staring back at him.

"That the girl?" Noah asked.

Buck nodded with an amused smirk. "Mhm," he answered. "She's a true master of camoflauge ain't she?" His tone was coated with lighthearted sarcasm as he grinned a toothy grin. "You'd never guess someone was hidin' in there." Buck marched over to the plant, watching the leaves rustle with the female's movements. "Only one problem with her little hiding spot though," the one-eyed weasel proclaimed, pushing the leaves back to reveal the frightened she-weasel's face.

"Plants don't have eyes. Well, not these kind anyways."

Noah joined his friend, as they waited for her to crawl out of the protection of the massive cluster of leaves. "Hey there, Miss. You can come on out now, no need to be scared, I'm not gonna eat ya," Noah told her, holding a wing up over his chest. "Swear on me life."

That was enough to calm her down enough to gently push the Colocasia leaves away far enough for her to step out. Ears flattened in post-fright as well as embarrassment, Aleena scrambled out of her 'hiding' spot and walked over to the two. Now able to get a good look at the bird, she realized who he was. Lifting a clawed finger to point at him, she said, "Oh it's you. You're the bird who helped me escape the…carno-taur-us, I believe you called it? Ummm, thank you."

"Not a problem," the prehistoric bird answered with a friendly smile. "Name's Noah."

"Aleena," she replied.

"Well it was mah pleasure," the bird continued. "I know they say dinos gotta eat too, but we couldn't just watch you get devoured like that when we could help. Ya looked mighty scared, shoulda seen your face, why your eyes were as big as coconuts, they were!" Both males began laughing at the memory.

Aleena felt her ears droop, as a light shade of red tinged her cheeks. She felt like shooting them both a death glare but quickly composed herself, controlling her volatile temper. After clearing her throat she said, "Yes, it, uh, isn't everyday that I have a near-death experience like that, not where I come from."

"Aw tha's a shame," Buck replied with a smirk. "Near-death experiences make life all more worth the livin' I say!"

Aleena just stared back at him, blinking in stunned silence. "That's…one way of looking at it, I suppose?"

"Well," Noah said, "I'm sure you can't wait to leave this danger-ridden world and get back to your ice-covered surface world then." He leaned down and extended his wings, having them act as a ramp for her to climb up. "Hop on."

She shook her head, her auburn head of hair swaying with the movement. "Thank you, but I didn't come down here by accident. I'm here to find my friend Max, and I'm not leaving until I find him."

Noah cocked his head to one side.

"He's a weasel from up there," Aleena explained, pointing to the layer of solid ice miles above. "And he's my best friend. He's been down here for almost four days now."

"Four days?" the bird repeated. "Well he's dino chow at this point for sure, no question."

"Tha's what I said mate!" Buck agreed, shrugging nonchalantly to his feathered friend.

Aleena looked to each male with a scowl, holding back an eye roll. "Are you gonna help me find him or just joke about him probably already being dead? Which I really hope couldn't be farther from the truth…"

Buck smirked over at Noah. "Feisty lil' gal ain't she?" he said to him in a quiet voice, shielding his lips with a paw.

Noah nodded, the two watching her march down the trail, her tail thrashing back and forth in an almost annoyed way, and Buck's gaze lingered on the departing female. He had to admit to himself that he was greatly enjoying the change of scenery for once.

He sprinted forward a few feet, catching up to her and matching her stride, Noah gliding just over their heads. "Hold on now," said the bird, "another weasel, you say? Does he have dark black fur, with grayish zigzaggin' stripes along his back by chance?"

A soft gasp escaped Aleena's lip as she stopped and looked up at the bird. "Yes," she answered in a whisper, then her voice grew louder, her eyes glinting with relief. "Yes! Yes that's him! You've seen him?"

The bird nodded. "Aye, on one a' my mornin' flights the other day. He was headin' in the direction of Precipice Peaks. I didn't think nothin' of it, he didn't seem as though he was in need of any help or company for the matter. He was mumblin' somethin' about findin' that 'dumb dinosaur egg' and 'showin' Benji and the others up', and then he disappeared into the tall grass."

Aleena breathed a small sigh of relief, staring out into the distance. "He's alright…" she whispered.

"For now," Buck reminded her. "After reaching those precipices, it's still a two weeks journey past them to get to the Nesting Valley. But it's no walk in the park to get there, I'll tell ya that right now." He twirled his weapon around in one paw like a baton, looking up as Noah landed on a higher branch of one of the hundreds of trees that lined the trail.

"Well my friend, care to accompany us on this little journey?" Buck called up to the archaeopteryx.

Noah fluttered his large wings, an uneasy expression darkening his features. "You goin' through the Cretaceous Caves on your way there?"

Buck nodded. "Only way to the valley is to go through the caves. You know that."

Noah stared over at the horizon. He could barely make out the mountains far off in the distance, ominous mists billowing out from the trench running right through the center of the range, rising up and partially hiding the mountains from view. Just beyond them was the towering rock wall that housed the entrance of the system of caves. A deep frown adorning his bright orange beak, he shook his head, the feathers atop it blowing mildly in the gentle breeze gusting through the jungle. "You'll have to count me out this time, mate," he told the weasel. "You know I can't go back to the caves again…not after what happened." He gave Buck an apologetic look. "Sorry Buck."

Buck waved a paw at him. "Ahh no worries mate, you stay here and keep the reptiles at the swamp under control," he joked, putting two fingers to his forehead and raising them in a salute.

The avian laughed heartily, nodding his head. "Will do…take care." He looked to the girl weasel. "Nice makin' your acquaintance, Aleena." And before waiting for a reply, he flapped his wings and took for the sky.

"Uh…you too Noah!" Aleena shouted, unsure if he'd heard her or not. Curiosity sparked in her mind like a flickering flame as she wondered why Noah was so averse to visiting the caves. She found it hard to believe that anyone who lived down here in this underworld and called it home would be afraid of anything living or existing here. It caused her to suddenly dread entering these Cretaceous Caves.

As her mind idly wandered, she nearly walked right into a spider web just overhead, its fearsome arachnid inhabitant resting in its center. At seeing the black and red spider, she screamed out and backed away, falling onto a tree root and scrambling up against it. Her cream furred chest rose and fell rapidly and repeatedly in fear as she crawled backward, gawking at the eight-legged beast, her breathing shallow and erratic.

She heard the eccentric male weasel snort, chuckling as he knelt down beside her. "Don't think I've ever seen such a reaction to someone else seein' a spider before."

Still breathing heavily, she pushed her bangs away from her face and glared up at him. "I'm deathly afraid of spiders, and bugs in general, ok?"

"Clearly," he quipped back with a grin before offering a paw to her and helping her up.

Her nostrils flaring, she uneasily pulled her wrist away from his grasp, brushing dirt off her pelt, embarrassed by the way she reacted. Given her small stature, she had a right to be afraid of spiders, but she had clearly overreacted, as this particular spider was no bigger than a quarter.

Buck placed his knuckles against his hips, examining the thin silk web the spider had weaved, smirking up at the arachnid. "Aw this little bugga here? He's nothin' to be scared of, love. Wouldn't hurt a fly." As soon as the saying left his lips, he realized how completely inaccurate it was, pertaining to this situation. He pursed his lips, looking over at the smirking female. "Ok…I take that back," he said. "A spider would hurt a fly, and would suck the life out of it for that matter…" He waved his paws in the air. "_But_ my point is: a spider's nothing for a mammal to worry about."

"Yea unless it's poisonous and it bites you," Aleena muttered, the amused smirk still on her muzzle. She was a tad miffed at Buck for continuing to call her 'love' when she'd made it clear she didn't prefer to be addressed as anything but 'Aleena', but she came to the conclusion that since she was now on his turf, it seemed only fair to go by his rules. Literally. After all, he was the only one who knew his way around this place. Without him, she'd still be lost, stumbling around in the underbrush. He was her only hope of finding Max, so she resolved it was best to stay on his good side.

As they continued down the trail, the two fell silent, the only sounds be heard were the buzzing of insects, the whipping winds, and the sparse grunts and calls of dinosaurs. Feeling uneasy at the lack of conversation, Aleena finally spoke up. "So," she began, her paws resting behind her back. "Your friend Noah…he uh, seems like a really nice guy…"

"Featherhead?" Buck said with a smile. "Ah he's great company! Ran into him while I took on a trio of raptors a few months back. He joined in on the fun, helping me chase 'em off. Me and him 'ave been the best of pals ever since. Most of the time, we're both out doin' our own thing, but he's my best mate, always will be."

She nodded, falling silent again. She desperately wanted to ask why Noah refused to come along, as they'd be venturing through the Cretaceous Caves the two of them mentioned, but her own fear of what was lurking in them kept her from asking any prying questions. And it was Buck who was the next to initiate conversation.

"Your friend, Max was it? He must be bonkers to come down here alone all in the name of a bet between him and his buddies."

She frowned back at him, suddenly irked at the one-eyed weasel for insulting her best friend so bluntly like that, but after a moment, she responded, "I kinda have to agree with you there." She shook her head. "I can't believe he'd come down here and put himself in such an unbelievable amount of danger. He's a really great friend, but he lets his pride get the best of him sometimes. The whole egg stealing thing is some dumb test of masculinity."

"We'll have to make tracks if we're going to catch up with him. It's still a good ways to the Peaks after we make it outta this jungle here, so let's get goin'!"

With another nod of her head, Aleena obeyed his order and quickly followed behind him. She peered up at the jungle's canopy, the dozens of crisscrossing branches, green moss hanging from a limb here and there. Just above the canopy, faint streams of sunlight seeped down through the layer of ice overhead. She couldn't see the sun clearly any longer, but could feel its warmth at least.

Her ears swiveled to the sound of a resounding roar, louder than any roar she'd heard from a living being before. It caused every strand of fur on her body to stand up on end.

"Rudy," Buck noted in a low voice, raising his head to look off in the direction it had come from, his grip on his tooth blade involuntarily tightening.

"Rudy?" Aleena repeated with a quirked brow.

Buck turned to look back at her, his blue eye narrowed. "King of all the dinosaurs, the biggest, most terrifying beast known to the underworld." He pointed to his eyepatch. "And, the one who took my eye."

Aleena gasped, cupping her paws over her muzzle, her eyes widened in horror, and her ears flattening against her skull. _So that's how it happened…_ she thought to herself, her wide eyes focused on the green leaf patch covering the socket where his right eye had once been.

"Been huntin' him for ages. But I can't be puttin' an ice world inhabitant in that kind of unspeakable danger, so we'll just have to steer clear of him," Buck told her. "But if we do happen to run into him…well, we'll just cross that bridge when we get there."

Aleena groaned lightly, rubbing her paws along her upper arms in an uneasy manner. "Wonderful," she mumbled through gritted teeth. "The list of things to be terrified of just goes on and on."

Buck's soft chuckle did little to placate her. "Welcome to paradise, love!" He turned to face her, walking backward with his arms spread wide. "The place I call home."

Her auburn bangs persisting to fall over her eyes, she pushed them back with another quiet sigh. This was gonna be a long journey. And she only hoped it wouldn't be a journey all for naught.

_You better be staying safe out there, Maxy, wherever you are..._

* * *

_So yea, these first two chapters have been extremely short, my chapters are usually on the short side but there will be a decent number of them, so it all balances out I suppose. And I'll try to make them longer as the story goes on. Hope you enjoy what's to come! _


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